The Rose Garden as planted in 1913 according to Mrs. Wilson’s modifications of plans by George Burnap. Library of Congress The Rose Garden, nearly a century old and redesigned several times, retains the charm and flavor of early American gardens. Ellen Axson Wilson, first wife of Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) planted the first rose garden in the manner of 17th-century Italian gardens. A long, hedge bordered "president’s walk" was built to the executive office, along the Jefferson colonnade. The Rose Garden today reflects its redesign in 1961 for President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy. It functions as an outdoor space for gatherings and accommodates several hundred spectators.